I had some business in Nakano, so I stopped by. It’s 10 minutes from Shinjuku, or even 5 if you catch the rapid train… It’s a little outside the city centre, but it’s easy to get to and the shopping streets are great, so I go there regularly. Actually, it might be more accurate to say something keeps coming up that makes me go there regularly.
When you arrive at the station and go out the North Exit, you’ll see the shopping arcade. Most of my errands are in the arcade.
Fujiya’s recomints
It’s a used CD shop. The prices are on the high side, but they sell a lot of used CDs in the club music genres I like. Today I came to get rid of CDs I bought and never listen to. It’s partly to turn them into cash, but Japanese homes are small, so things you don’t use just become clutter.
Mandarake main store
This place sells second-hand manga-related goods. The range and the sheer volume are enormous. The first time I came I was so amazed at the size that I wandered around for ages. These days, though, I don’t reach for figures that won’t make me any money or manga that just take up space.
The crowd in front of Mandarake
Lots of people. Probably because this one is far bigger than the other branches. Considering that the manga shops in Akihabara are disappearing one by one, it might be better to use Mandarake in Nakano for manga-related goods from now on.
Fujiya AVIC
They deal in new and used AV equipment. You can pick up decent audio gear quite cheaply, so I use them a lot. Their New Year sale in particular boasts the lowest prices in Japan.
Fujiya Camera
You could call it the major player in Japan’s used camera scene. They have the most stock, but popular items go fast. I drop by now and then to see if there’s anything worth buying, but lately I hardly ever splurge, so the visits don’t really pay off.
A back street off the arcade
It’s a shopping street with a down-to-earth, everyday feel.
Walking past, I spotted this famous ramen shop too…
Apparently it ranks pretty high in the Tokyo ramen rankings. I’ll have to go next time.
A street with a Showa-era feel
A street that has kept its old-time atmosphere well.
Alleyway
Cheap, tasty izakaya stop ordinary folks in their tracks. If I lived in this neighbourhood I’d probably be a regular.
Nakano streets
If you look closely you can see a Disk Union. I hear it’s new, but I haven’t been yet..
Okashi no Machioka
A shop that sells snacks and sweets really cheaply. Much cheaper than a 100-yen shop. Women would love this place.
Kikumatsuya, a menswear shop
A clothes shop I visit often. It’s cheap, the designs aren’t bad, and the quality doesn’t drop off much either, so I shop there a lot. Sometimes it’s even cheaper than the outlets.
Nakano has lots of all sorts of small shops clustered together. It’s the opposite of the glitzy look of central Tokyo, but I think this side suits me better. That’s why I end up going regularly, even if not often.. The more I learn about Tokyo, the more interesting places I find. I’ll have to take my time and get to know it..